This same damaging effect of settlement is often noticeable in wooden frame houses, which have not been properly constructed to avoid uneven distribution of cross-section wood in the walls and partitions. Wherever there is a difference of cross-section of wood in two walls which support the same beams, there is sure to be uneven settling. The wall which has the greatest number of linear inches vertically of horizontally laid timbers will settle the most. This will cause sagging floors, sprung door frames, and open joints. Many cracked stucco walls on the exterior have been caused by too much cross-section wood in their framing. A balloon-framed wall makes the best backing for an outside wall of stucco, because the studs extend from sill to plate without any horizontal timbers intervening. But it can always be predicted that the masonry walls and parts of the house will settle before the wooden walls and partitions. The chimney will settle more rapidly than the surrounding partitions of wood, and should, for this reason alone, be built entirely independent of any other part of the structure. Where the wooden framed wall butts into a chimney and the plaster is continuous over the brick of the chimney and the studs of the wall, there is sure to develop a crack at the joint because of the unequal settlement, unless the plaster is reinforced at this point with metal lath. Likewise, it is bad to support any part of the wooden floor upon a girder which bears upon the chimney, not only on account of the excessive sinking of the chimney, but the subsequent danger of fire which it creates. [Illustration] [Illustration] A very bad method of constructing a chimney was imported from Europe, years ago, which develops serious fire dangers from its manner of settling. Instead of flashing and counter-flashing the joint of the chimney with the roof, this method employed the use of a projecting course of brick begun at the level of the roof. Thus the part of the chimney above the shingle roof was made larger than that underneath, and the outward step was used as a weather lap over the roofing material, and no flashing was needed to make the joint tight. Now, when the chimney settled faster than the roof, as it would, the upper part could not drop, but was caught upon the roof, and lifted from the lower part. This made a crack through which the hot gases could escape to the attic timbers and start a fire.